Two small messenger bags from one coat. I’m always up for a challenge and this certainly would be but a bit of juggling should do the trick. Doing a lot of my business through the internet it was always a delight to make a contact and meet them face to face. We arranged to have lunch at the Moat House in Acton Trussell to chat bags, well that’s the excuse I’m using anyway. Over lunch I was handed a soft black leather mid coat and decided on the best options to get the both bags from the one coat.  I was hopeful but a little nervous that I could fulfil the request, but wouldn’t know for sure until I started laying out the pattern. My saving grace was the long belt attached to the coat, this would become my strap for the larger of the two bag. In theory the ready made strap saved a whole sleeve of the coat leather that could now be used for the the smaller of the two. The first bag is 11″x 11″ with a 3″ gusset a great size and a first for me. I would normally make my messsenger bag for both men and women rectangular for both portrait and landscape styles but actually I rather liked the squareness of this one.The left over leather made a 5″ x 7″ miniature cross body Messenger bag with 2″ gusset both were lined with my friends’s stripy blue shirt. Inside each bag I have added purse zip pockets for added security for little bits and bobs.On the larger of the bags also a phone slip pocket out of the original shirt pocket topped with leather always useful for easy grab of the mobile.Both bags flap are left raw leather unlined and saldlery thick leather added to strap ends and flap front to finish.